East London Mosque Incident
ben | 22.07.2005 11:52 | Analysis | London
Heard the Mosque was surrounded by armed police so headed down there pretty quick. When I arrived the police were just removing police tape and getting back in their vans. I wandered around to find out what had gone on and found somebody at the news enterance at the front talking to a local asian journalist. I got a few shots of the front of the building, a couple of cops and then the press pack arrived in force. They quickly surrounded the guy being interviewed and a media scum frenzy began with lots of pushing and shoving which was quite funny because this man was just saying he had only just got there and that it was just a false alarm anyway, nothing had happened, just some hoax bomb threat called in by phone. Poor guy was swamped simply cause there was nothing left to film.
Anyway, I saw not sign of there having been armed police surrounding the building. The workmen by LARC were still working just behind the mosque and plenty of activity round the front as usual. I don't doubt that armed police were present however. The building had been evacuated but people were going back in just after I arrived.
This incident sounded different in the media. First mention of sucide bomber (how do whe know that yet) being shot at Stockwell and then in the same breath, armed police surround mosque. It sounded connected and while I doubt it was designed to do so it would certainly reinforce in some peoples minds the idea that mosques and sucide bombers are related - perhaps the idea that sucide bombers had run to ground in the mosque.
I've been listening to BBC Radio London today - awful to say the least. They have been doing a phone in asking the question in the light of these attacks should police have more powers to do stop and search. What crap!
Police already have these powers AND USE THEM. It's called section 44 of the terrorism act. They don't need new powers in stop and search but this stupid show helps create a climate to provide them with additional new powers. The poeple calling in were generally really stupid and racist, it made me ill. No fucking mention of Iraq just crap about refusing to change or being scared or giving in to these terrorists. What bollocks.
This incident sounded different in the media. First mention of sucide bomber (how do whe know that yet) being shot at Stockwell and then in the same breath, armed police surround mosque. It sounded connected and while I doubt it was designed to do so it would certainly reinforce in some peoples minds the idea that mosques and sucide bombers are related - perhaps the idea that sucide bombers had run to ground in the mosque.
I've been listening to BBC Radio London today - awful to say the least. They have been doing a phone in asking the question in the light of these attacks should police have more powers to do stop and search. What crap!
Police already have these powers AND USE THEM. It's called section 44 of the terrorism act. They don't need new powers in stop and search but this stupid show helps create a climate to provide them with additional new powers. The poeple calling in were generally really stupid and racist, it made me ill. No fucking mention of Iraq just crap about refusing to change or being scared or giving in to these terrorists. What bollocks.
ben
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